History Repeats
by Filthy x Gorgeous
Summary: Challenge ficOneshot. After finishing school, Seamus runs into an old acquaintance. I suck at reviews.


**A/n:** I got this challenge from _shinynewthing dot net_. It was, basically, "Seamus Finnigan and Remus Lupin : Muggle sweets : decaying world"... :) Three cheers for that website, which will no doubt produce many more ungood one-shots from me.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, really.

**Please read and review.**

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Seamus Finnigan was walking through Finsbury Park, a slightly worn place in Muggle London, a plastic shopping bag in one hand and a piece of paper in the other. A shopping receipt for cheap food that would tide him over until payday, or so he hoped. Since leaving his childhood home in favour of living alone, in this rather unfriendly neighbourhood, he'd struggled to make ends meet. No wizarding jobs were available for him, snapped up by his exclassmates who had gotten more NEWTs and OWLs than he'd managed to gather. He'd taken to working in a small muggle supermarket where the hours were long and the customers were horrible, but he was standing on his own two feet, and for that he was proud. Proud, but certainly unhappy.

Since leaving Hogwarts, he'd lost contact with everyone. His affection for his old roommates had disappeared along with his money, and as for teachers, well. Did anyone keep in contact with the likes of Snape? He'd avoided contact with his family since moving away from Ireland. They were unhappy with the distance and would drag him home if they knew of his conditions now. No, he had to stay independent. He was not going to fail. He looked at his shoes on the worn tarmac. Old trainers, laces which were beginning to fray at the ends, stubborn dirt and stains that hadn't wanted to clean away, even with the help of magic. He sighed, wondering if everyone went through troubles like these.

"Mr Finnigan." A voice stated rather than asked. He looked up from his shoes to see none other than Remus Lupin, his defence against the dark arts professor from what seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Hello, Professor." He said quietly, his Irish accent replaced with a rather stereotypical British one. He'd never realised before how sad it was that Lupin was always dressed so shabbily. How he never seemed to have much to his name. The words slipped out before he had even thought them. "How do you _do it_, Professor?" He asked, a sigh. Lupin didn't smile as he spoke, but he was far from upset.

"Sit down, Seamus." He pointed to a very decrepit bench, which they lowered themselves onto warily. Seamus looked at his worn trainers again, and over to the beaten shoes Lupin wore. "You're having a tough time, I see." His old professor stated. Seamus nodded. "I was the same. I am the same, in a way, but ... I found more."

"More what? Money?" Seamus looked up. Remus smiled and rested his elbows on his knees.

"No, no. More for myself. More to be. I needed, at your age, to go to bed telling myself I'd done something worthwhile that day, to know that my life had purpose. That I was reaching my potential." He smiled softly, looking older and wiser than usual. Seamus almost saw a hint of Dumbledore in those eyes, but Remus looked away before he had time to ponder.

"What did you do?"

"I devoted my life to the side of good, to put it simply."

"Oh." Seamus realised he was still holding the receipt and shoved it into his carrier bag. His hand stayed in there for a second longer than necessary and he felt one of his purchases. He pulled out the small, cheap, melting bar of muggle chocolate and tore open the wrapper before snapping the sweet in half and giving one piece to Remus. "Here. You always seemed to like the stuff."

"Thank you." They ate in silence, before Seamus scratched his ear and looked at Remus again.

"Do you still work for the side of the good?"

"Yes... I backed out after... I didn't do as much for a short while after... Well. Yes, I do as much as I can now. With the decaying of the world, we need as many people as we can get." The professor looked a little flushed, but Seamus ignored this and stood up.

"I want in." He said certainly, and perhaps a fraction louder than was necessary. Remus smiled softly and stood up, too. They set off walking to the tall gates of the park, and Seamus said softly, his old Irish accent back in full swing; "Thank you, Professor."


End file.
